Building 166 Salvage Headquarters. Historic American Buildings Survey Level II/III FINAL

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1 FINAL Building 166 Salvage Headquarters Historic American Buildings Survey Level II/III 2701 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, California Prepared for San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD) San Diego County Regional Airport Authority April 2010

2 Ryan Aeronautical Historic District HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY RYAN AERONAUTICAL COMPANY HISTORIC DISTRICT BUILDING SALVAGE HEADQUARTERS Location: 2701 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101, USA Present Owner/Occupant: Present Use: Vacant Significance: Historian: Jessica Feldman PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Building 166 is located within the boundaries of the Ryan Aeronautical Company Historic District, a 46-acre complex containing 17 contributing resources and 30 non-contributing resources. The district is eligible on the local and national levels for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criteria A, B, and C and for the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) under Criteria 1, 2 and 3. The historic district is eligible under NRHP Criterion A (CRHR 1) for its association with the contribution of aircraft manufacturers at Lindbergh Field to World War II defense production. It is also eligible for its association with Cold War research, development projects, and defense manufacturing. Under Criterion NRHP B (CRHR 2) the district is eligible for its association with aviation pioneer T. Claude Ryan and his aircraft aerospace manufacturing businesses. Ryan Aeronautical Company, under Mr. Ryan s leadership, made significant contributions to national defense production during World War II, as well as important developments in aerospace research and development in the 1950s and 1960s. The historic district is eligible under NRHP Criterion C (CRHR 3) for its representation of industrial architecture associated with the 1930s and World War II. The district embodies the distinctive architectural characteristics of aircraft manufacturing buildings of the period in Southern California. The building and structures in the district illustrate the design fabrication concepts common to aircraft manufacturing plants from the 1930s to the 1960s. During this period, the aerospace industry played a dominant role in the economy of the region (URS Corporation, 2008). Building 166 is a non-contributing resource to the Ryan Aeronautical Company Historic District. 1. Date of erection: Architect: Unknown B. Historical Context: 3. Original and subsequent owners: Ryan Aeronautical Company signed a 50-year lease in Ryan Aeronautical Company sold to Teledyne Inc. in 1969, and the combined company became Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical Company (TDY Industries). TDY Industries merged with Allegheny Ludlum Corporation in 1996, and Northrop Grumman Corporation acquired TDY Industries from Allegheny in Presently, the property is leased by the San Diego County Regional Airport and is under the Jurisdiction of the San Diego Unified Port District. 4. Original plans and construction: Building 166 is one story and has a rectangular form. The building is steel-framed and the floor plan is approximately 35 feet by 120 feet. Building 166 has a shed roof with an eave overhang and corrugated sheet-metal cladding. A portion of the roof is cantilevered and acts as a canopy over the east side of the north elevation entrance. Building 166 has flange columns that rest on concrete pedestals. The walls consist of corrugated metal siding. The building has multi-paned windows along the north, west, and south elevations and two sliding doors of different sizes along the south elevation (URS Corporation, 2009; San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, 2005). 5. Alterations and additions: In 1959, plans were drawn that show a new sliding door on the south elevation near the east elevation and a steel frame, multi-pane window to the left was installed, requiring the removal of one set of original steel-framed, multi-pane windows. The door was installed, but the window does not appear to have been. 1. San Diego s Aviation History: During the first three decades of the 20 th century, the aviation industry was established in San Diego and it became a focal point of San Diego s activities and reputation. In 1912, the Army founded an air base and the first year-round military aviation school at Rockwell Field on Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego (Macaulay, 1928; Moore, 1960). The creation of the military air bases helped establish aviation in the region during the industry s pioneering years. In 1928, the Army and Navy had invested $5,500,000 in the air bases at North Island (Macaulay, 1928). The high profile attained by aviation in the local community during these years resulted in an awareness of the potential future of the industry by the inhabitants of the region. San Diego became the first U.S. city to establish a Municipal Board of Air Control in 1926, and was also the first to issue a complete set of air ordinances (Macaulay, 1928). In 1922, T. Claude Ryan, an aviation pioneer who began his career as an Army pilot, left the Army and moved to San Diego, where he began giving airplane rides and flying instructions. He soon established the Ryan Flying Company at the Dutch Flats Airfield in San Diego, which later became Ryan Airport. Dutch Flats Airfield was located at present-day Barnett Avenue and Midway Drive, off the current San Diego airport site and not within the current historic district boundaries. In the 1920s, Ryan Airport was the focal point for Ryan s expanding aeronautical enterprises (flying school, flying service, and an airplane manufacturing company). In the late 1920s, the use of the airport expanded as civil aviation came of age with other companies using Ryan s field to operate air services. With the help of T. Claude Ryan, civilian aviation flourished in San Diego County during these decades. In the mid-1920s, the Chamber of Commerce promoted San Diego as the Air Capital of the West. The development of what is now Lindbergh Field would be the central effort in this campaign. The committee realized that in order to maintain a leadership role in aviation, San Building of 12

3 Ryan Aeronautical Historic District Diego must have an adequate municipal airport. They wanted the location of the airport to be a place that would combine facilities for the operation of land and seaplanes, and be as near to the city of San Diego as possible. They selected an area at the north end of San Diego Bay on Cityowned tideland; however, this area did not contain enough area to meet government requirements. Negotiations were made with the United States Navy to provide portions of the Marine Corps-owned tidelands for the airport expansion (URS Corporation, 2009). Ryan was instrumental in the development of Lindbergh Field, San Diego s nascent municipal airport, which was established in In 1929, 4,755 planes and over 20,000 passengers arrived or departed from the Dutch Flats Airfield (Leiser, 2000). Within a few years, the majority of these activities would move to Lindbergh Field. In 1939, Ryan established a manufacturing site on airport grounds, which is the location of the historic district. 2. Ryan Aeronautical Company: T. Claude Ryan was born in Parsons, Kansas in 1898, but moved with his family to Orange, California in Ryan began a lifelong relationship with the aviation industry when, around the age of 19, he enrolled at the American School of Aviation in Los Angeles. In 1919, Ryan began studying mechanical engineering at Oregon State College. While in school, he applied to the Army for aviation cadet training and was accepted, but left the Army by January 1922 in hopes of flying as a civilian (National Aviation Hall of Fame, 2009). Ryan moved to San Diego to establish the Ryan Flying Company. The Ryan Flying Company changed its name to Ryan Airlines, Inc. when it was reorganized in 1924 to begin operating the first year-round, scheduled airline service in the United States from Dutch Flats (URS Corporation, 2009). Around the same time, in the mid-1920s, Ryan entered the aircraft manufacturing business with partner Frank Mahoney and created the Ryan M-1 Monoplane, which became one of the best-known air mail carriers in the country. A modified Ryan Monoplane became the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in May 1927 on the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Ryan sold the company to Mahoney in 1926 and established the Ryan Aeronautical Corporation for the sale and manufacture of aircraft engines. The company changed its name to the Ryan Aeronautical Company in Ryan Aeronautical Company signed a 50-year lease, starting in 1939, on land at the southeastern edge of Lindbergh Field along North Harbor Drive. Three buildings from the site of the previous company were relocated to this new location. The Ryan plant was one of several aircraft manufacturers located at Lindbergh Field that contributed to the nation s war effort in the 1940s. At peak wartime production, the Ryan plant had 8,500 employees and annual production exceeded $55 million. Following the war, workforce was reduced to 1,200 and annual production to $8 million (URS Corporation, 2009). The Korean conflict provided the Ryan Aeronautical Company the opportunity to work with electronics for aerospace applications. The role in aerospace electronics led to the development of a variety of aircraft navigation and positioning equipment, including helicopter hovering devices, altimeters, and remote sensors (URS Corporation, 2009). In 1947, the United States Navy awarded Ryan a contract to research the feasibility of reaction controls for jet aircraft. With jet engines and reaction controls handled by remote control, a Ryan vertical test rig lifted itself off the ground for the first time in In 1953, the Air Force awarded Ryan a contract to design and build two manned vertical takeoff jet research planes and 2 years later, the Ryan X-13 Vertijet was constructed. In the 1960s, Ryan continued target drone and electronic systems production and vertical takeoff and landing research (URS Corporation, 2009). In 1969, the company was sold for $128 million to Teledyne Inc. and became known as Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical Company (TDY Industries). T. Claude Ryan remained with the company as chairman until his death in In 1996, TDY Industries merged with Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, and then later became a subsidiary of that company. In 1999, Northrop Grumman Corporation acquired TDY Industries from Allegheny and relocated the plant to a site in Ranch Bernardo, California, leaving the former plant site vacant. The site continues to be mostly vacant, with only a small portion of Building 100 used for administrative offices and several other buildings used for storage. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural Character: Building 166 is an industrial-style building located within an industrial facility. It has a rectangular footprint and shed roof, with a cantilevered canopy over the east section of the north elevation. The exterior is clad in corrugated metal sheeting, and it has large multi-paned, steel-framed windows on the north, west, and south elevations. There is a large double door on the north elevation and two entries on the south elevation 2. Condition of Building Material: Building 166 is in fair condition. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall Dimensions: The floor plan of Building 166 is approximately 35 feet by 120 feet. There is a cantilever canopy that extends from the north portion of the building (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, 2005). 2. Foundations: Building 166 has a concrete foundation. 3. Walls: Building 166 is clad with corrugated sheet-metal siding (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, 2005). 4. Structural System: Building 166 has a tension-rod bracing lateral system (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, 2005). 5. Openings: a. Doorways: Building 166 has a set of large, wooden double doors on the north elevation near the east elevation, under the cantilevered canopy. There are two openings on the south elevation, both located near the corners, but arranged asymmetrically on the elevation. The opening near the west elevation contains a sliding plywood door, with an inset single door. The opening near the east elevation has a smaller sliding door, which was added in place of a window after b. Windows: Building 166 has multi-paned windows along the north, west, and south elevations. All windows are multi-pane with steel frames. All have pivoting Building of 12

4 Ryan Aeronautical Historic District sections, typically in the mid-section, and all are hopper-style. The primary difference is the arrangement and number of lights. On the north elevation are five sets of windows. On the west side are two sets of windows. The window near the north elevation is a tripartite sash, each with a four-over-five light arrangement. The window near the south elevation contains a paired set of windows with a fourover-five light arrangement. There are five sets of windows on the south elevation. At the western end is a single window with four-over-five light arrangement. To the immediate right of the sliding door near the western elevation is a small threeover-two fixed metal-frame window. To the right of this window are two sets of triple windows with the four-over-five light arrangement. A third set of these triple windows is located near the east corner of the south elevation. 6. Roof: Building 166 has a corrugated sheet-metal roof. C. Description of Interior: Floor Plans: Building 166 is a one-story, rectangular plan building, approximately 4,408 square feet. The floor plan is approximately 35 feet by 120 feet. A cantilever canopy extends from the north end of the building over the eastern portion of this elevation. It is a steel-framed building with a builtup roof. The roof framing consists of steel girders at 20 feet on center with wood beams and a plywood roof. Building 166 has flange columns that rest on concrete pedestals. The walls consist of corrugated metal siding (URS Corporation, 2009; San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, 2005). D. Site: Historic Landscape Design: None PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Early Views: From the Teledyne-Ryan archives B. Interviews: N/A C. Bibliography 1. Primary and Unpublished Sources: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) Teledyne Ryan Facility Study. January 1. San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD) North Harbor Drive Demolition Project Environmental Impact Report. April. URS Corporation Department of Parks and Recreation Primary Record form for the Ryan Aeronautical Company Historic District (P , CA-SDI-18401H). January. Van Wormer, Stephen, Mary Robbins-Wade Historic Architectural Survey Report: San Diego International Airport Master Plan. Prepared for San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. May. 2. Secondary and Published Sources: Leiser, Edward San Diego Flying Days. Copies of manuscripts on file at the San Diego Historical Society and San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, CA. Macaulay, Major T The Story of Lindbergh Field, San Diego s Triple A Municipal Airport Lindbergh Field. Dedication brochure, Lindbergh Field Vertical Files, San Diego Aerospace Museum Library, San Diego, CA. Moomjian, Scott A. and Wendy L. Tinsley Historic Survey Report of the Former Teledyne- Ryan Aeronautical Complex, 2701 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, California, Prepared by Office of Maria Burke Lia, Attorney at Law, 427 C Street, Suite 416, San Diego, CA Prepared for Jones Lang La Salle, 2701 North Harbor Drive, Building 100, San Diego, California Copy on file with the San Diego Regional Airport Authority. Moore, Floyd Roscoe San Diego Airport Development. Thesis, Political Science, San Diego State College, San Diego, CA. National Aviation Hall of Fame. T. Claude Ryan- Biography. ocs/menu_ps.asp?nodeid= &group_id= &parent_id=-1 (accessed November 5, 2009) San Diego Unified Port District San Diego Unified District Annual Report: Carl Reupsch Collection, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, CA. San Diego Union. Various Dates. Issues cited in text from Lindbergh Field Vertical Files, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, CA. San Diego Unified Port District San Diego Unified District Annual Report: Carl Reupsch Collection, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, CA. San Diego Unified Port District San Diego Unified District Annual Report: Carl Reupsch Collection, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, CA. San Diego Unified Port District San Diego Unified District Annual Report: Carl Reupsch Collection, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego, CA. URS Corporation Appendix B. Cultural Resources Assessment Report North Harbor Drive Demolition Project Draft EIR (UPD #83356-EIR-713). April. Van Wormer, Stephen Department of Parks and Recreation Primary Record form for the Ryan Aeronautical Company Historic District (P , CA-SDI-18401H). Prepared by Walter Enterprises. December. Building of 12

5 Building Salvage Headquarters; the building to the left of the tower, San Diego, California, Date unknown. Teledyne-Ryan Archives. Building Salvage Headquarters, San Diego, California, Date unknown. Teledyne-Ryan Archives. Building Salvage Headquarters, San Diego, California, Date unknown. Teledyne-Ryan Archives. Building Salvage Headquarters, San Diego, California, Date unknown. Teledyne-Ryan Archives. Building of 12

6 Building Salvage Headquarters, South Elevation, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters, Northwest Oblique, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters, West Elevation, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters, East Elevation, San Diego, California, October Building of 12

7 Building Salvage Headquarters, Southeast Oblique, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters, detail of window on West Elevation, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters, Southwest Oblique, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters Interior, facing Southeast, San Diego, California, October Building of 12

8 Building Salvage Headquarters Interior, facing Northwest, San Diego, California, October Building Salvage Headquarters Interior, window detail, San Diego, California, October Building of 12

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